Students learn valuable leadership skills from pros through business class project
November 13, 2026The professional world requires more than just a degree. Every level of the workforce has to navigate challenges in communication, environmental variables, power, leadership and development within their organizations.
Indiana Tech’s Organizational Behavior class prepares students for these challenges. Recently, students were tasked with interviewing a team leader, coach, supervisor or manager about their responsibilities and experiences, obstacles, communication practices and what it takes to be an effective leader.
Students spoke to a wide range of subjects, from managers of Dick’s Sporting Goods and UPS to a coach and dean of students at a high school. The lessons were just as varied: focus less on titles and more on individual growth, building relationships with others leads to more respect, resolving conflicts requires communication and more.
This individual activity reaffirms the vital soft skills needed to succeed in the workplace, resulting in a class that is more prepared for professional life.
Rodrigo Davis is a business management senior who works in the Philadelphia Phillies team store at Citizens Bank Park in the summer. He says the exercise helps him feel ready for job interviews with business leaders while giving him a better understanding of effective leadership qualities.
“I found that being a manager, or anyone in authority, takes more than just directing people to do things or telling people what to do,” he said. “It takes kindness, leading gently, working hard to bring the best out of people and being able to see everyone’s potential.”
Not every student in the class aspires to run a business. The project was also valuable for psychology senior Heath Tinker, who hopes to become an industrial psychologist.
“It reminded me of what leaders are looking for in the workplace,” he said. “You know, not just hard workers, but also someone that is really putting the heart, good work ethic and all that stuff at a job site.”
Minn Nan Tin is the instructor of the organizational behavior class and led the exercise. She says that it serves as a clinical experience, and students don’t have to wait until after graduation to start putting these skills into practice.
“Yes, we are teaching theories, and we combine theories with those clinical experiences,” she said. “A lot of the students are currently working and they can use this, that’s the main thing.”